Trucks, such as for example, class-8 heavy duty trucks typically use significant amounts of fuel to move cargo across the nation. In most instances, very little attention has been paid to the major drag-producing design with the exception of a passive fairing placed over the tractor top and/or side to help close the gap between tractor and trailer. Separated flow typically exists over many of the surfaces to include the tractor-trailer gap, the rear end of the trailer and all along the under-carriage of the rig. It is known that overcoming the effects of drag oftentimes can require as much as two-thirds of the engine's power at a cruise speed of 70 miles per hour. Accordingly, class-8 truck gas mileage has not changed much in 15 years, and it is typically still between 5.5 and 6.5 miles per gallon. While some improvement has been made in efficiency, most of the gains have been negated by increases in cruise speed and higher gross weight limits. The use of an active flow control by plasma actuators can reduce the areas of separated flow which can make significant gains in rig efficiency, lowering the power and fuel consumption and improving the environmental emissions.
Previous efforts to reduce the drag of these rigs have made some improvements, but so far have been slow to gain acceptance into the fleets because they interfere with the utility of the vehicle, require extensive power, are expensive modifications, show small improvements in fuel consumption and/or are not structurally sound enough to handle the day-to-day rough conditions that these vehicles experience. Some improvements have included fairings below the trailer body between the wheels, extension of the aft end of the trailer, and high speed injection of air into the flow.
Plasma actuators have no moving parts, require very little power, can be incorporated into fairings and basic tractor and trailer structure, and show promise to greatly reduce the power and fuel consumption. They can be painted over and not even be seen by the casual observer.
Plasma flow actuators provide a “body force” to the flow as the air passes over the surface. This “body force” accelerates the air, stabilizing the boundary layer and causing the air to remain attached to the surface even around tight radii to reduce or eliminate separated flow, a source of drag. By placing these actuators on the surface just before where the flow would ordinarily separate, the flow will remain attached which reduces drag.
In one example, plasma actuators may be placed on fairings over the aft doors of the trailer to coax the flow around the corners, greatly reducing the turbulence and vortices behind these rigs. In another example, fairings may be incorporated into the doors for new trailers, and in yet another example, the same concept may be applied to the aft part of the tractor to cause the flow to stay attached behind the tractor. In still other examples, the forward part of the trailer may have actuators on its leading corners to keep the flow attached along the sides and top. In each of these examples, the gap-drag may thus be minimized leading to additional fuel savings.
In another example, plasma actuators may be applied to the under-carriage of a vehicle to contain the flow and maintain attachment to assist in drag reduction. Still further, in each of the disclosed examples, the actuators may be turned off whenever the driver applies the brakes, to allow the drag to increase, thereby slowing the vehicle and reducing the braking needed.